Michigan

Jeffery Williams,left, and Dylan Harris perform as Buzz Hauser and James and John Jeckyll during dress rehearsal of Love! Valour! Compassion! at the Actors' Theater in downtown Grand Rapids on Wednesday, September 18, 2013. (Andrew Kuhn | MLive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A recent play at Grand Rapids Community College featuring nudity was a topic of controversy at Monday's board meeting, as opponents of the production questioned whether the college should defund the group that staged the performance.

The school is endorsing nudity “as entertainment or education and is using our tax dollars to do this,” said Joan Ridderbos, a Middleville resident who learned of the play from friends who attend her church.

Ridderbos was referring to “Love! Valour! Compassion!,” a play performed from September 19-28 by Actors Theatre, an independent community theater group housed at GRCC’s Spectrum Theater.

The play follows a group of eight homosexual males who gather three times over the summer at the home of a Broadway choreographer and his blind partner. It dives into topics such as AIDS, infidelity, love, friendship and features one male character “who’s nude for a good portion of the play,” according to an MLive review.

Actors Theatre, which has long been known for tackling controversial topics, is an independent organization but is funded in part through the college. In the most recent budget year, GRCC’s contribution was $19,000.

But while the play drew criticism from Ridderbos and another audience member, it also drew praise from supporters of Actors Theatre who said the college performs a public service by funding the local arts group.

“I am very grateful that we have the chance to bring this important piece to the community,” said Jolene Frankey, who directed the play. “As the title would suggest … it has far more to do with than just one naked man. It deals with a range of human emotions, the human experience.”

Fred Sebulske, who founded Actors Theater in 1980, said “Love! Valour! Compassion!” has won numerous national awards.

“We present plays as they are written,” he said. “We do not edit them or censor them. When we think a play is valuable to do, we do it as written.”

He also said Actors Theatre informs the public that a play may contain controversial material by “posting content warnings all throughout the theater, at every entrance and every doorway.”

“Everyone who entered the theater knew what the play was going to be about,” Sebulske said.

Trustee Bert Bleke said the board will consider the concerns raised by residents.

“I can really understand both perspectives that were given this evening,” he said. “We have a lot of constituencies that we serve. There are some that say this is absolutely fine and should be done and we have others who say it just doesn’t make any sense.”

One trustee who has long been critical of Actors Theatre thanked residents who came to the board meeting to voice their concerns.

“I would dare anyone at this table to read certain sections of this play from this board table,” said Richard Ryskamp, who has pushed to defund Actors Theatre during previous budget discussions. “I don’t think that you would be able to get it through your teeth.”